ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF PHOTO IDs* Tennessee driver's license with photo* U.S. Passport* Department of Safety photo ID card* Photo ID issued by federal or state government* Employee ID from U.S. Department of Energy* U.S. military photo ID* State issued handgun carry permit with your photoUNACCEPTABLE IDs* College-issued student ID* Photo not issued by the federal or state governmentSource: Hamilton County Election Commission
State Rep. Tommie Brown and a group of local Democrats asked Hamilton County's election commissioners Wednesday if the office could come up with a way to issue voter registration cards with photos on them.
Beginning next year, a local voter registration card will not be enough to cast a ballot. The state's new Voter ID law will require that voters present specified types of government-issued photo IDs at the polls.
County Democratic Party Treasurer Stephen Harper said the new law reduces current voter registration cards to nothing more than an "expired coupon to purchase a pet rock."
He and five others said that the law is confusing and lobbied commissioners to come up with an election commission alternative to the state's driver service centers, which are administering the free ID program for registered voters without photo IDs and those drivers 60 and older with photoless licenses.
"Even if we made a photo ID, we're not on the list [of approved IDs]," said Chris Clem, the election commission's attorney. "It wouldn't be valid."
Brown, 77, flashed her photoless license, which she said she couldn't use to vote. Tennessee allows those 60 and older to opt not to keep photos on their licenses.
Brown said she asked at least two state offices whether her photo ID from the legislature would work and has received different opinions.
"You're going to tell me that on election night I might be able to run but not to vote for myself?" she said.
Brown said that issuing the photo IDs at election commissions rather than at the state level would reduce wait times and confusion at driver service centers.
But Election Commission Chairman Mike Walden said the local election commission can't do anything but follow state law.
"Our job as election commissioners is to make sure we have a fair election but also to abide by the state law," Walden said.
Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, who signed the photo ID bill into law, told reporters Wednesday that "we want to make certain that everybody who has the legal right has the opportunity to vote and those who don't have the legal right to vote don't."
He noted that state Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons is "working hard with the secretary of state to make sure we have all the steps in place to do that."
Haslam complained that there is a "lot of misinformation out there" about the legislation.
"Remember, any government-issued ID -- even if it's an expired driver license, any sort of government-issued photo ID at all works," he said.
However, the governor misspoke on one aspect. While the new law permits Tennesseans to use current or expired state or federal government-issued photo ID for voting, it does not allow city or county-issued ID for such purposes. Student IDs issued by public colleges and universities also are not acceptable.
The Department of Safety has a budget of $438,100 for its free voter ID program and is making efforts to reduce wait times for them.
Still, Walden said he understood complaints about waiting in line at the driver service centers. His wife and daughter waited for three hours recently only to be turned away at the door, he said.
"It's just horrible, so I understand why no one would want to go there," he said.
Sandra Hale told commissioners she didn't want to wait in the driver center line, so she attempted to renew her driver's license by mail and opted to retain the photo she had previously used. The state mailed Hale a photoless one instead. Now she can't use it to vote, and said she is concerned that others have the same problem.
"I guess what we're asking you to do is advocate for us," Hale said.
Charlotte Mullis-Morgan, administrator of elections, said her office is doing everything possible to alert voters to the changes. She also told Hale she could use an expired driver's license on election day.
Staff writer Andy Sher contributed to this report.